TEXAS -- Hundreds of thousands of young immigrants continue to live with uncertainty as the fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as DACA, remains in limbo.
- Supreme Court could make a decision on DACA soon
- Thousands of Dreamers work in essential services in the U.S.
- Attorneys have asked justices to consider current circumstances
Even though the Supreme Court was empty due to COVID-19, justices still made decisions virtually. Among those coming up is the future of the program, which so-called “Dreamers” and advocates hope will be delayed.
“It’s a very scary time, especially with COVID 19 right now,” said DACA recipient Sheridan Aguirre. “I’m the only person right now who is working and sustaining my family. So, if a negative decision comes out of the Supreme Court, families just like mine—who are of mixed status—will be negatively impacted.”
United We Dream’s Jose Alonso Munoz said nearly 30,000 Dreamers work in health care and thousands more work in essential jobs such as teaching and as grocery store employees.
“Lawyers for the plaintiffs in the DACA case actually filed a letter that actually turned into a brief last week to the Supreme Court," Munoz said, “essentially asking them to consider the moment we’re in.”
There has been no response, so far.
“Because the court is having to push back oral arguments, it’s possible that we’re gonna get a decision sooner than we had hoped or expected,” said Munoz.
“Undocumented people and DACA recipients are really vulnerable right now. We’ve been left out of the stimulus package, which means that people are scrambling to be able to get the resources to be able to survive through this moment,” Aguirre stressed. “We have made it through so many difficult moments, and right now it’s gonna take us being really resilient and counting on each other to survive and, really, to thrive.”
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is in charge of work permit renewals for DACA recipients, made some adjustments. It announced that it will use previously submitted biometrics or fingerprints to process permit renewals as long as its offices remain closed.